business team

Dirk van Reenen – A Great Challenge Means Great Opportunity – How to Build a Pivot Ready Business Team from Day 1 (AoL 180)

/by

For a lot of business owners, the pandemic has cost them their livelihood. For example, Yelp! recently shared that 55% of the businesses using their platform which closed down due to the pandemic aren’t coming back. What’s a business team to do when you’re looking at those kinds of numbers? How can you avoid having to close down?

The answer, I believe, is all about being able to make a pivot. And this is something we’ve been discussing in great detail on the show.

Unfortunately, for some business teams, pivoting might not be too obvious. Sure, curb service and delivery for some restaurants makes sense, but what if your restaurant wasn’t so much a restaurant, but a bar? What if you’re reliant on a market that’s not doing so great right now such as realty?

Today’s guest, Dirk van Reenen, excels at helping teams focus on the foundations of business and how they scale their businesses in ways that they might not have noticed before. In fact, with the future looking like things will be changing faster and faster, it’s important that all businesses know how to quickly pivot.

So what does that look like? Well, the first thing is all about building the right team – and that’s where today’s conversation takes us.

Listen in as Andy and I learn more about Dirk’s business BERGflow and how it might benefit those of us going through or preparing to go through a hard time.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What’s the path that Dirk followed to eventually starting BERGFlow? 9:45
  • Where did the name BERGFlow come from? 15:20
  • What are some things people need to consider when building a team as a solopreneur? 20:24
  • What challenges does remote work give to a group who’s forming into an effective team? 26:50
  • If a leader finds themselves in a situation where there’s trust issue in the team, how can they get back some of the control in their group? 32:02
  • According to Dirk, what’s the importance of a business team building something worthwhile? 38:54
  • What kind of things is Dirk looking forward to as we move into a different world post-pandemic? 45:40
  • What’s the best advice he’s ever received? 51:40
  • Which three books does he gift or tell others about? 52:11
  • What’s the smallest decision he’s made that has had the largest impact in his life? 54:22
  • What’s one thing all high school students must know? 59:01
  • What’s the secret to achieving personal freedom? 1:01:41

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Dirk Online: Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
Cohost: Andy Dix
Powered By: Kennected
Documentary – Happy – (Flow in BERGfow comes from this documentary)
Rocketfuel – Visionary / Operator (or Integrator) relationship
David Osborn- Dirk’s Mentor
e-myth revisited
Chris Tuff AoL Interview
Think and Grow Rich
The Fish that Ate the Whale
The Road Less Stupid – Keith Cunningham
Loving What Is – Byron Katie

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

How to Navigate the Early Stages of Shift

Adapting to the Shift

Where is the Bottom of This?

What are you doing to Pivot and Move Forward?

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

social influencer

Rohan Kale – So You Want to be a Social Influencer?: A Look at Social Media Marketing in 2020 and Beyond (AoL 179)

/by

Today, more than ever, videos play a large part in social media marketing. If you have a goal of becoming a social influencer, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll need to know how to not only make but produce good quality content to attract people to be part of your audience.

Here’s the catch, though. Not all business owners want to be social influencers. In fact, many business owners might prefer to stay out of that particular limelight because they feel that it would take even more time to make that extra content. Time they could be spending doing what works and less experimenting with new content.

So how does someone who prefers to work their craft and/or work 1 on 1 with their clients, find the time to create and edit this new content?

Well, truth is, they need to bring in someone who has a proven process to attract the right type of audience.

Our guest, Rohan Kale, fits the bill. Personally, I call him more of a social media marketing architect. Not only does he has the process down, but like an architect, hires out the in person work to local videographers.

It’s a really fascinating business model.

In this session, Andy and I learn how he got started in business and what about his approach makes his process a winner today and in the future.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How did Rohan’s choice to go to business school eventually lead to starting his own business? 14:31
  • When it comes to building a business, is it worth becoming a social influencer first or should it be a focus in fortune? 20:17
  • How can someone increase their lead generation with a limited budget? 22:00
  • How do you shift the thought of online marketing being a gamble to a one where you know it has a given ROI? 25:18
  • What factors should a business owner consider when they’re determining whether to stay localized or go global with their marketing? 26:48
  • For someone who has an in person based business, how does Rohan make his business work from the other side of the world? 29:39
  • What mistakes does Rohan commonly see with those who want to be a social influencer? 31:40
  • What are three tips he’d recommend to those who are looking to expand their reach and influence? 33:10
  • How has the pandemic affected his business? 38:16
  • What is one song, one book, and one film Rohan he’d add to the curriculum in school? 39:53
  • What’s the best advice he’s ever received? 46:25
  • What new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved his life? 47:35
  • What is something people don’t realize is a huge waste of money? 49:14
  • How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 51:33

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Rohan Online: Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube
Cohost: Andy Dix
Powered By: Fizzle (Start get started for free today!)
CBS Sunday Morning Story on the Workplace
Pursuit of Happyness (Will Smith)
Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch
Bollywood Music videos mentioned by Rohan: Dilko Ko Tumse pyar hua and Yaaron
Malhari – My go to Bollywood music video

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Introduction to Rohan’s Agency

The Basics of Video Marketing

How to Create Your LinkedIn Profile

How to Pivot in Adversity

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

greater success

Dr. Ryan Gottfredson – Unlocking Greater Success – How We Can Move From a Fixed Mindset to One of Growth (AoL 178)

/by

When we have the discussion about achievement and having greater success, many times we go straight to tactics and tools as the answer. Or, if we know better, maybe we’ll take a look at our vision and mission and see if it needs to be tweaked a bit.

One thing we often skip over, however, is our mindset. As we’ve been learning in the show recently, mindsets can be seen as the lenses we see the world in. And there’s a lot of talk about going from negative mindsets to more positive alternatives.

Most of the time, though, this has been a bit of nebulous concept. Especially, when we don’t know where we’re currently at and how we can improve from there.

However, in this session, our goal is to bring that conversation down to reality a bit.

Our guest, Dr. Ryan Gottfredson, has spent over five years looking at the knowledge and data on what it means to go from good to great when it comes to mindsets. And what he’s found is that mindsets can actually be quantifiable.

Through his assessment and book, Success Mindsets, we have a way to find out where we’re at in our positive and negative mindsets and have a plan to move all our

If you’ve been searching for an assessment to help you get more clarity on where you should go in your self development journey, this is a great place to start.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How did Ryan end up in the Organizational Behavior field and later looking at mindsets? 10:06
  • Why does he look at mindsets versus personalities? 13:44
  • What are the four opposing mindsets that we can encounter in the world? 16:57
  • How do the results of Gallup’s annual poll on leadership tie into Ryan’s research? 21:42
  • How do we as leaders become the better version of ourselves so we can inspire our followers to be their best? 24:04
  • Is there a way to make sure we don’t fall into self protective stress and keep in a growth mindset? 26:03
  • What exercises can someone do to keep them in a growth mindset? 29:09
  • Does Ryan feel that his new growth mindset is his new default setting or will he have to continue to reinforce it over time? 32:50
  • What role does a coach play in helping someone improve their mindset? 35:37
  • What benefits can someone expect from reading Ryan’s book “Success Mindsets“? 36:43
  • When it comes to the word agile, what does it mean at the individual level? 38:16
  • What has Ryan been doing as part of his pandemic pivot? 41:58
  • How infectious are mindsets when it comes to other people? 43:43
  • What are Ryan’s top 3 favorite books he gifts or tells others about? 45:24
  • When you become overwhelmed or unfocused, what does he do? 46:49
  • If he were to run a business or do a job for a day that he’s currently not, what would it be? 47:51
  • What’s the smallest decision Ryan’s made that’s had the greatest impact on his life? 48:31
  • How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 49:39

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Ryan Online: Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
Cohost: Andy Dix
Powered By: Kennected (Save $500 on your onboarding call by using this link!)
Andy’s Interview of Mel McMahon
AoL Interview with Chris Tuff
Viktor Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning
5 Minute Journal App
Bonds that Make Us Free – Terry Warner
Creativity Inc – Ed Catmull
High Performance Habits – Brendon Burchard

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

The Power of the Collective Mindset Report

Introduction to the Digital Mindset Coach

Ryan is Interviewed by Sagi Shrieber

Ryan’s Interview with TJ Hoisington

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

safe neighborhoods

Dale Brown – Creating Safe Neighborhoods – Why Knowledge of Self Defense is Vital to a Free Society (AoL 177)

/by

During the civil unrest of 2020, there’s been a lot of talk about how to create safe neighborhoods for everyone. However, this isn’t a new topic by any means. In fact, it’s an issue that many cities have been dealing with for a number of decades.

For example, here in Indianapolis, we’re way ahead of the curve when it comes to homicides for the year. It’s only June and we have had over 100 people killed. This curve has been rising year after year.

Add to that the frustration people have with law enforcement and the systems in place for their accountability, and it only makes sense that there’s protests.

However, where many people draw the line is when those protests turn to violence. When protests turn to riots, that’s where the message starts getting lost.

So, if people want to make a change for the better, wouldn’t it make sense that they do so in non-threatening manner?

This session’s guest, Commander Dale Brown of the Threat Management Center in Detroit, MI, believes that’s the case. On top of this, through his experience of over 25 years, he also believes that when people know a bit about self protection, crime in neighborhoods tends to go down.

In this session, Veronica and I learn why this is the case, and what society can do to erase the man made construct of race all together.

If you’re a peace loving individual and have wanted to have your voice heard, then perhaps Dale’s message is for you.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What drew Dale to Detroit to teach the east side community how to defend themselves? 8:08
  • When lots of people were leaving Detroit during the recession, why did Dale stick around and continue to develop the Detroit Threat Management Center? 12:04
  • How does Dale see Detroit’s current renaissance playing a part in the rather peaceful protests they’re seeing? 19:50
  • Since race is a manmade construct, what are some steps we as a society can do to get rid of it? 30:44
  • How has Dale had to pivot during the pandemic? 35:11
  • What are three books he gifts to others or tells them about? 39:23
  • In the last few years, what’s something Dale’s started saying no to and why? 40:11
  • What is something that’s $100 or less that’s changed his life? 49:02
  • Is there anything he believed as an 18 year old but now realizes is completely inaccurate? 49:46
  • How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 51:17

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Something’s Off with Andrew Heaton Ep. 33 | Dale Brown Doesn’t Need a Gun | Guest: Commander Dale Brown

Something’s Off with Andrew Heaton Ep 69 | Race as a Social Construct | Guest: Commander Dale Brown

Introduction to the Threat Management Center on The Rock Newman Show

Threat Management in Startup Societies

Dale Brown – Detroit Threat Management Center – FULL CLASS at Anarchapulco

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

how to sell

Chris Spurvey – The Ambivert Advantage – How to Sell When You Don’t Like Sales (AoL 176)

/by

For many people, the main reason they don’t start a business is simply because they don’t want to (or feel they can’t) sell. In fact, many of the most successful books in business are those that teach the reader how to sell. And interestingly, many of those books teach tactics that reinforce the reader’s perspective of sales. This perspective being that sales is all about bypassing objections that a potential buyer would have.

However, what I’ve learned in the last few years is that sales, when done right, is more about adding value or service to someone who needs a particular solution. Meaning that, if you’re looking to develop a sales process, it needs to include a phase where you can ask questions from the potential buyer. It also needs to include a point where you suggest the solution based on the buyer’s needs. And then, if they need help, they’ll ask for it.

This session’s guest, Chris Spurvey, is all about that process. And, in fact, he suggests that ambiverts, who are people who aren’t quite extroverts or introverts are the best equipped to do sales.

Interestingly enough, most people who can’t think of doing sales the “traditional” way, are, in fact, ambiverts.

In this session, we learn from Chris why ambiverts like him, have this special power to be super successful at giving people what they want.

If you’ve dreaded sales in the past because you don’t want to come across as being sleezy or pushy, then this chat is one you don’t want to miss.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How did Chris get over his initial perspective on sales? 12:19
  • If someone wants to change their perspective on how to sell, what kind of mindset shift would help directly with that? 19:21
  • What does he think about the concept of people trying to do the smallest amount of work for the greatest ROI when it comes to their effectiveness as a business owner? 25:34
  • Why does Chris believe business systems are so important? 29:04
  • What was the decision process like for Chris to write a book even though he didn’t see himself as an author? 33:25
  • Does he have advice for those who feel they’re being pressed to write a book but they don’t feel that they’re an author at heart? 37:50
  • What’s Chris’ pandemic pivot looking like and what has him excited about it? 40:27
  • Which song, book, and film would he add to the national curriculum? 44:55
  • Is there something he’s been recently learning about he’s excited to start implementing? 46:52
  • What’s something he’d like to do in his lifetime that no one knows about? 48:04
  • Is there something that’s changed his life for under $100? 48:50
  • What’s the secret to achieving personal freedom? 49:48

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

How to Sell – Business Begins When You Start a Conversation

Make Potential Clients More Invested in the Buying Process

What Your Customers are Actually Buying from You

3 Tips How to Break out of A Slump

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

getting ahead

Greg S. Reid – Ok, Now What? Tips For Getting Ahead in Life and Business After the Pandemic (AoL 175)

/by

As the world heads back to a post pandemic normal, more people find themselves wondering about getting ahead of the new status quo.

As we move forward, once again many people are realizing (again) the future is uncertain. Just like security was a big concern after 9/11, corporate wellness is going to be a huge topic moving forward. Corporations, being the relatively static entities they are, prefer to have all their ducks in a row. The more predictable the future is, the better they look to their investors.

So one would think that part of the new status quo is going to be maintaining a healthy workplace and workforce. Is a business capable of properly reacting to potential future waves of this (and other) diseases?

For us creative entrepreneur types, we know that with uncertainty comes big opportunity. So that’s why in the last couple of months, my business partners and I have been working on starting a wellness consulting business.

If the corporations want to go digging for gold ( in wellness), then we’re more than happy to help them find the tools they need.

Even if you don’t have the expertise to capitalize directly on the new status quo, there will be more than enough room for to indirectly capitalize on it.

For example, perhaps you’re an artist. Is there a way for you to use the technology everyone has become accustomed to using to get more people around your work? (Yes, virtual art shows…)

As we speak with this session’s guest, Greg Reid, Veronica and I learn a little bit about the mindset he’s used in getting ahead himself – now and in the future.

If you’ve not heard from Greg before, then today might be one of those days which changes the trajectory of those that follow.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How did Greg get in a position where he was able to capitalize on opportunities when they came along? 8:50
  • What has having connections done for Greg? How can someone start getting ahead by building strategic connections? 17:46
  • How does he stay relevant to all the people who’s in the Switchboard? 21:48
  • From Greg’s perspective, why is good etiquette and preparedness so important to success? 24:07
  • What behaviors should people work on if they’re serious about building their own dream or an empire? 27:13
  • What’s Greg excited for in 2020? 35:23
  • Who are his current top 3 influencers who have helped him get to where he’s at today? 38:54
  • What gift does he like giving others? 39:57
  • How can someone tell the difference between a Credible Source vs someone who’s trying to fake it until they make it? 42:18
  • What’s advice out there is a disservice to youth? 43:21
  • What would be found in the “Guide to Being a Creative” handbook? 44:36
  • According to Greg, what’s it mean to live a life of Abundance? 46:07

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Greg Shares the Success Equation

Greg’s Personal Library

Jeff Binder’s Presentation at Secret Knock

Wake Up and Crush It Teaser

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

millennials and gen z

Chris Tuff – Millennials and Gen Z in the Workplace: What to Expect in a Post Pandemic World (AoL 174)

/by

Here it is 2020, and a good part of the population scratches their head when the subject of Millennials and Gen Z comes up. With the pandemic completely changing how things are done in the working world for the foreseeable future, it would seem that these generations are going to be the ones left picking up the pieces and reassembling the economy in their own way.

So what exactly does that look like? For the most part, we know what it looks like for entrepreneurs. But the usual 9 to 5 world is going to change drastically in the next 5 to 10 years. Like after 9/11, when we were all about ramping up security, are we going to now see a continued uptick in technology use specifically geared towards maintaining healthy workplaces? How will this change the workplace overall? Will things ever go back to “normal”?

These are some of the questions Veronica and I ask this session’s guest, Chris Tuff, author of the book The Millennial Whisperer.

If you’ve not heard Chris before and you’re into futurism, I think you’ll really enjoy this chat.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What’s his take on the responsibility he has a Xennial? 12:00
  • When did Chris choose to get into marketing as his career? 16:20
  • How is Chris working with leaders to reshape their internal company structures to engage with Millennials? 26:44
  • What does Chris see in the future when it comes to technology playing an ever increasing role in daily work life? 31:47
  • According to Chris, what’s Shawshanking and what is its role? 36:20
  • What other technology does he see playing a role in Millennial’s lives in the not too distant future? 39:07
  • Besides writing another book, what else is Chris looking forward to doing in 2020 as we move through the pandemic? 42:41
  • Which teachers and influencers have helped Chris get to where he’s at today? 47:16
  • What’s the biggest plot twist he’s seen in his day to day life? 49:14
  • What message in society is a disservice to youth? 50:46
  • Is there something under $100 which changed his life? 51:06
  • What’s the secret to achieving personal freedom? 51:39

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Managing Millennials in the Workplace

Chris Tuff on the Shrimp Tank Podcast

Chris being interviewed by Peter Boulden

John Lee Dumas interviews Chris

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Castbox, iTunes, Stitcher, PodBean, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!